Suction cleaner



Nov. 11, 1941. c. H. TA'YLOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1941. c. H. TAYLOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ClzarleslZ Tqylbr ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1941 OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER M... H. Taylor, Springfield, Mass., assignor to 'l'h'e Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a-

corporation of Ohio Application January 28, 1938, Serial No. 187,379

, tionship to the enclosing large diameter cylin- 18 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to new and novel improvements in suction I cleaner agitating means. More specifically the invention comprises an improved rotary agitator in a suction cleaner in which proper and eflective brushing is obtained regardless of the bristle length which varies with wear and the life of the brush.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved rotary agitator for suction cleaners. It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner agitator embodying rigid beating and flexible brushing means. Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary agitator embodying means of fixed radial extension and brushing means which are-automatically adjusted to compensate for bristle wear. A still further ob- Ject of the invention is to provide a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner embodying a large diameter cylindrical body formed with rigid beating elements and from which project brush ing elements subject to decrease in length with wear, there being means to compensate for the latter. agitator for a suction cleaner embodying rigid heating elements rotatable about a fixed axis and brushing elements rotatable about an axis which is adjustable to compensate for brush wear. the brushing and beating elements contacting the same part of the surface covering. Still another object of the invention is to provide a rotary agitator embodying brushing and beating elements, the brushing elements floating with relation to the surface covering undergoing cleaning to insure proper brushing action regardless drical body; Figure 4 is a section upon the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and shows the driving gear keyed ,to

the rotatable agitator body; t

Figure 5 is a section upon the line H of Figure 2 and shows an end plate of the pivoted agitator-supporting frame'and the spring means with the shaft which supports one end of the rotatable agitator;

Figure 8 isa detail view of' the stationary brush-supporting bracket, with stops, which is carried by the stub shaft of Figure 7;

Another object is to provide a rotary Figure 9 is a hanger support by which the brush shaft is pivotally mounted upon the support bracket of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a detail showing of the elements of Figures 7, 8 and 9 operatively related and discloses the relative pivotal movement permit- .ted the hanger support by the support bracket;

- Figure 11 discloses somewhat diti ly the vertical adjustment permitted the rotatable brush.

which includes rigid, positive beating elements of bristle length. 'I'he'seand other more*impor-.

tant objects will appear .upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings.

Referring now to the drawings:

and fiexible brush elements.- In cleaner operation the rotation of the agitator dislodges the imbedded foreign material from-the surfacecovering and it is removed by the .air stream drawn 40 by the air-moving means.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a suction cleaner embodying the present invention, the nozzle wall being broken away to show the agitator positioned therein:

Figure 2 be horizontal section upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and shows the agitator con-- The rigid beating elements of the agitator are usually of metal and through the life of the machine are not subjected to change in size or relationship because of wear. The brush elements, however, are usually made of bristles and are very definitely subject to wear which decreases their length. with the rigid heating elements rotating at a fixed diameter about the axis of rotation, it is necessary for the flexible brush elements to extend to an equal distance from that axis or the entire surface contact is performed by the beating elements. the brushing elements rotating ineifectively. As the brush elements become shorter in length it be- .65 comes necessary either to replace them with new brush elements or to provide means by which they can be adjusted to compensate for the wear. In the past agitators have been provided with manually adjustable brushes which can be removed and reinserted to new positions to compensate for decreased bristle length. Rotary brushes have also been made in which manual adjusting means effect greater or lesser brush extension. According to the present invention,

however, there is automatic compensation fordecrease in brush bristle length without attention from the user.

Referring again to the drawings and to Figures' 1 and 2 in particular, a modern suction cleaner embodying the. invention The cleaner body construction generally is of eommon and well known form and. includes a nozzle casing I which supports a motor casing 2 housing an unshownmotor. A fan chamber 3 is interiorly connected to the nozzle and consleeve bearing li'seats within bearing seatsll and II, as is clearly shown in Figure .2, the

. bracket It and the support It being adjacent with the shaft-carrying end of support It extendingbetween stops ll, 36, as is clearly illus-. trated in Figure 10. A driven shaft I rotatably seats within each bearing 42 and together with it forms. a pivotal mounting for a support ll upon the bracket 34 by which the former can tains a rotatable suction-creating fan 4 which is Y driven by the unshown motor. The extended lower end of the motor shaft I drives a powertransmitting belt which seats'upon a rotary. '25.

agitator, indicated generally by the reference character I, located within the nozzle I. A81- tator I is so positioned that it is adapted to contact a lifted surface covering between the front and rear nozzle lips I and 2, respectively. The

cleaner body is movably supported upon wheels I0, 'etc., and a handle II is suitably connected move between an upper limit defined by an up- .per step pin 36 and a lower limit defined by a lower stop pin. In substantially mid-position between these limits the, brush shaft 2! is in-exact alignment 'with the stubshafts II, II as is clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 10. The rigidity of the arms 28, I8 atthe ends of the brush body and of the supporting means thereforis such that relative twistinamovement between the. ends of the brush body-is entirely prevented," the shaft remaining parallel at all times'with "the axis of rotation of, the'body it, as defined;

' by the stub-shaft I]. H.

The drivingmeans by which the brush" 22' is rotated upon its pivoted supporting shaft 28 comprise gear trains which interconnect the cylindricalbody i3 and the brush body 23 at both.

" ends 'of-the latter. A gear 48 seats upon the to enable the operator to -propel the machine .ovena surface covering undergoing cleaning.

The agitator I comprises an elongated cylindrical body It upon the surface of which extend rigid beating elements ll, 14 and which is formed with a pulley surface I! which seats the belt I. End plates it, It close the agitator ends and retatably support the. agitator upon stub-shafts l1, II by means of sleeve bearings II. I. outer end of each stub-shaft I1 is secured. in a thread guard member 2| which is itself non-r0- stub-shaft-carried bearingil inside the agitator end plate II and, in fact, extends between that end. plate and the bearing in the embodiment shown for constructional purposes. Gear 4! retates with end plate It being fixed thereto'by thekeyll. I

Upon the extended end of shaft 43 carried by bracket 34 is'positioned a second gear 49 which 1 .meshes with gear l to rotate the shaft which.

.as above described, forms the pivotal axis for the laterally displaceable brush body 23. At'the opposite end of shaft 43 a thirdgearfl is provided which meshes with a fourth gear 6| rotatably mounted upon the brush shaft 2! by bearsleeve ll and which is pinned to that sleeve tatably supported in the nozzle in a manner to 1- and the bristle tufts 24, 2| extend-radially outward through the helically arranged slots 21, 21

of body II which are present for that purpose. Brush body 23 is itself rotatably mounted on a non-rotating supporting shaft 20 by means of a; sleeve bearing II, the shaft, as well as'the entire brush 22, being positioned'entirely within the confines of the agitator body It.

and to the brush body 2: by pin l2. "me gear- Y trains It, 50 and II, there being one at each end of the brush, pofltively connect the brush 1 body 23 with the agitator cylindrical bodysuit and rotary movement. of one body is directly communicated to and results in rotation-of the other body. I The entire agitator construction is removably supported within the cleaner nozzle-by a pivoted frame" the forward memberof whichconl- The means by which thebrush 22 is supported within cylindricalbody it for. limited lateral a placement toward and" fromthe surface covering undergoing cleaning comprises hanger brackets ll, 34 which seat non-rotatsbly upon the squared inner ends of the stub-shafts ".11.. Each bracket is provid'edwlth an oflset seat II and with stop pins 88. l. In

' upon the stub-shaft ll each bracket II is arranged with its bearing seat "positioned sub, stantially in the same horizontal plane aathe stub-shafts n, .n which results-in the stops as,

above "at each end of the agitator. andonebelo'wthatplane. a

Each outer reduced end of yond the body 22 seats a luppd t elelnentil which is itself formed with a at The frame" itselt is "at the rearofthe rearnozzlelip'a eandisadaptprisesthefrontnomeliptandeachsideplate member of which isformed with-an upwardly opening slot it which receives and seats'the axiallyextending seat abutment ll"- formed upon the exterior face of the adjacent thread guard 2|. .i'i pivoted spring element 58, there being one carriedby'e'ach frame endplaterextendl across the slot 68 with its outer end underlying a howle -carried pin it which forces the spring downwardly: to lock. the abutment." within the seat of'the frame. '1 Y pivoted upon pins II. II

ed tobe pivoted up into the -,noszle mouth or downwardly therefrom. manually operable remeans ll of the common-and well known provided adjacent-the front lip- I to retain the frame .:in the upper position.

ea' h oat aflen of ean t ue df 'm with the present. inventicnfbegbis or members mmmich hiehca "the fanrand rotating the he cleaner-caster. tc otate' therebr agitator I. Suction created by the fan 4 effects a lifting of the surface covering below the nozzleupwardly into contact with the lips 8- and 9 and into contact with the rotating agitator I driven by belt 6. The rigid beating element l4 upon the surface of body ii of agitator 1 beats the surface covering while the brush elements 24 brush the covering. tufts 24 of the brush 22 at all times ride upon the lifted surface covering andproject outwardly through the cylindrical body l3 just sumcien-tly to accomplish that result, there being suflicient penetration into the covering, of course, to provide suflicient resistance to support the brush 22. The brush rotates with the cylindrical body 'I being driven by the gear trains 46, 48, 50 and If the bristles 24, 24 etc. of the brush 22 are relatively new and long the support 38 will be pivoted upon the pivot pin 43 so that it will extend closely adjacent the upper stop 36. As the brush tufts wear, however, the supports 88, 38' will gradually pivot downwardly until they eventually ride upon The downwardly extended brush' element and subject to decrease in size upon wear and to decrease in its radial extension from its axis of rotation, means rotatably and adjust ably mounting said brushing element to raise andlower its axis of rotation, and power-transmission means to rotate said brushing element upon rotation of said beater element.

the lower stops 36, 36 at which timeit becomes necessary to replace and renew the brush bristles.

When brush renewal finally does become necessary, or if for any other reason it becomes necessary to remove the agitator from the nozzle, the

operator need only release the frame 55 by operating the latch 6|. The agitator in its frame is thereupon removable downwardly through the nozzle mouth and thereafter the agitator can be removed from the frame by drawing the supporting abutment 51, 51 outwardly through the frame slots 56, 56, the locking springs 58, 58 pivoting upwardly and overcenter to permit that result. Upon the agitator being reconstructed or repaired it is again inserted into the frame 55, the

spring lock 58 is again extended over the top of and projecting therefrom, non-rotating means .mounting said brush forrotation about a nonrotating axis laterally displaceable in said body relative to said major axis, and means positively to rotate said brush about said laterally displaceable axis upon the rotation of said body.

2. In a suction cleaner, a rotatable agitator comprising a beater element rotatable about a fixed axis, a brush rotatable about its own independent axis only, which axis is positioned within the orbit described by said heater element, and means floatingly mounting said brush for vertical displacement independently of said element.

3. In asuction cleaner, a rotatable agitator comprising a heater element rotatable about a fixed axis, a brush rotatable about its own independent axis within the orbit described by said beater element, means floatingly mounting said brush upon the rotation of said- 5. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, means to lift a surface covering undergoing cleaning into contact with the nozzle, a rotary agitator in said nozzle, said agitator including a body, beater elements on said body, means to support said body rotatably in fixed relationship to said nozzle, a rotary brush within said body and extended radially therethrough to be supported upon the lifted surface covering, means mounting said brush for vertical movement under a force received from said covering, and means to rotate said body and said brush.

6. In "a suction cleaner rotatable agitator, a rotatable beater element, a rotatable brush element, means to support said beater element for rotation about a fixed axis. and adjustable means to support said brush element for rotation about an axis movable relative to said fixed axis, into coincidence therewith, and radially toward and from said fixed axis on both sides thereof.

7. In a rotary agitator for a suction'cleanenm beater element, means to support said beater element for rotation about a fixed axis, an agitating element subject to wear, means supporting said agitating element for rotation about a movable fioating'axis about which the agitating element in rotation describes an orbit which is tangent to the orbit described by said beater element only at the point of contact with a surface covering which is at all times directly below said fixed axis.

8. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a beater element, supporting means mounting said beater element for rotation about an axis, a brush element, stationary non-rotating means adjustable'relative to said first-mentioned means supporting said brush for rotation about an axis vertically movable in a path substantially including said fixed axis, characterized in that in operation the vertical position of said brush element axis is determined by the contact of the brush element with a surface covering undergoing cleaning.

9. A rotary agitator for suction cleaners com-.-

"prising a rotatable cylindrical body, beater ele-.

ments on said body, stationary end members to support rotatably said body, a brush shaft within said body mounted upon said stationary end member for vertical displacement, and a rotatable brush on said shaft and extended through said body.

10. A rotary agitator for suction cleaners comprising a rotatable hollow body, a beater element on said body, stationary members to support rotatably said body, a brush within said body supported on said stationary member for movement toward and from a surface undergoing cleaning and extended radially beyond said body, and means to rotate said brush upon the rotation of said body.

11. A rotary agitator for suction cleaners comprising a hollow body, beater elements on said body, a stationary member at. the end of said body, a fixed stub-shaft on said stationary member rotatably supporting said body, a brush within said body extended radially therebeyond, and means including said shaft pivotally mounting said brush for freemovement in an arc in a verfirst-mentioned sear te upon .body extended radially therebeyond. means pivot-11! moron-tins said brush upon said driven shalt for vertical t, and a gear eonneotedtosaidbrushinmeshwithagear onsaid A rotary agitator for suction cleaners ooma hollow body, beaterelements on said fixed stub-shalt on saidst'ationary mem- -rota sumrtinasaidbody; amearon said rotatable with said rotary asitator for a suction- S'E'g 8 saidbodm fiexiblebrmhingmeansrota swith said heating mean. and movable within limits relative thereto, and non-rotating means mounting said brushins means for vertical movement 'independentofsaidrisidbeatingmeansandtoaaeasae rotation of said body, a brush within j.

Iardthe \mderside oi a suriaoeundergoingeleaningintherotationoisaid 15. In a suction cleaner, a easing, an agitator body, means rotatably supporting said agitator body on said casing, rigid beating means mounted on said body for rotation in a fixed orbit, fiexible brushing means,-means Importing said brushing means in said body for independentrotation 10 about itsown separate axis. said supporting means including a fixed support and relatively movable parts adlustable in agitator operation by suriaee-exerted force transmittedthereto by said brushing means, and means to-rotate said 7 is brushins means about its own axis upon rotation of said body. 1

18. In a rotary agitator for-a suction cleaner,

a rigid beater, means to mount said beater ioi' rotation about an axis, a brush extended on two so or more sides of said axis, and means mounting stationary member atthe end of body. adriven shalt es stub-shaitwithin said body at mm beater, means to mount said beater tor-- a rotatable-body, means rotatably supsaid dy. risid beating means earriedby r .said brush for rotation about its own axis positioned within the orbit described by said beater and for vertical translation to efiect adjustment of the covering-contacted lower side of said.

1'1. In a rotary agitator tor a suction cleaner,

a rigid beater, means to mount said beater for rotation about an axis, a brush extended on two or more sides of said'axis, meansmounting said brush for rotation about its own axis positioned within the orbit described by said beater and for vertical translation to efiect adiustment oi the eoverina-eontacted lower side of said brush, and

means to transmit a positive rotating force to said brush upon rotation of said beater. 18. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner,

rotation about an axis, an helical brush extending through substantially 360 degrees cireumie'rentially and having a diameter of the'samo malnitude as the orbit described. by said beater in rotation, means mounting said brush for independent rotation about an axis within the orbit dmcribed by said beater and for translation relarss tive to the axis oi saidbeater, and meansto spaoe eircumierentially said beaterand brush. 

